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But It's not a key part of the LRT system nor is it required to enable expansion or increase capacity. It's required to stoke egos and temporarily satisfy desire for the shiny and new.

It creates a ton of operational efficiency though, you can really tweak schedules then down the different lines depending on where the demand is highest. If Sherwood Park needs a bit less, and Millwoods more, some trains circulate to double time on Millwoods for each one on Sherwood park.

Agreed on high level - that's more a duplication issue now.

I think it they did do this gondala, it needs to go to Churchill square, not to shaw.

And in terms of this discussion, the South portion of the circulator is more of a duplication of existing crossings (almost the exact same path as the existing LRT) than either a High Level Tram extended to whyte, or an aerial tram on this proposed cross-river route.

I like LRT but if we have money for just one new public transit river crossing I'll take this proposed tram over The LRT central circulator any day. Plus you could do this aerial tram, significant upgrades to the High Level Streetcar and significantly improve bus service on whyte for less than it would cost to build the LRT Circulator.

This is really something that will only work if executed perfectly. On paper, the benefits are fantastic: boosted public transit accessibility, cheaper than reasonable alternatives, innovative aesthetic, and possibility of really differentiating Edmonton from other North American cities (in a positive way!).

Unfortunately, I don't see this idea really ever getting off of the ground. The public perception around gondolas in general I can only assume is the view that they're a waste of public money; being good for fancy European ski lodges and that's about it.

“Elsewhere in the world, trams, gondolas, and funiculars are common, supplementing other mass transportation systems in an effort to reduce pollution, traffic, and crowding. Compared to subways, highways, or rail lines—which often require displacing huge numbers of people in urban areas or extensive (and expensive) below-ground building—gondolas are a relatively cheap option. ...”

According to recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, aerial cable-propelled transit systems are being considered in Brooklyn, Washington, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Baton Rouge, Austin, Tampa Bay and Miami. In light of the potential boom of gondola projects here in the United States, we explore 11 gondolas around the world that have changed how people move in urban spaces. ...”

It's a fair idea (transportation option) to traverse a difficult terrain. Some of those didn't seem... exceptional. I will rest on the fact that in its self the gondola in the next 10-15 isn't there yet in Edmonton, but within the next 20 years and as a component of the Rossdale development is the only success I see, from a business case POV.

Three years ago, La Paz-El Alto embarked on an incredible journey to revolutionize the city’s urban transport network. The Austrian ropeway giant, Doppelmayr alongside Mi Teleferico, now operates five Cable Propelled Transit (CPT) systems in the city. In March 2017, one of the world’s largest urban gondola projects (the longest system in La Paz-El Alto), Blue Line (5.0km, 5 stations), was successfully inaugurated. During its first weekend, the system recorded a peak of 41,000 passengers in one day. Today residents fly high above the skies of El Alto before descending into the valley below on the Red Line.

A few months later in September 2017, the 4-station Orange Line (Spanish: Linea Naranja) invited riders to hop aboard with Bolivian President Evo Morales kicking off the celebrations. The Orange Line effectively extends the Red Line eastbound by another 2.6km and will be integrated with the upcoming White Line.

Effectively, the two new urban gondolas not only increased the length of the city’s rapid transit network by 76%, it also added nine more stations (7 if you only count the two transfer stations as one station each).

UrbanOver the city roofs with the all-rounder
The innovative ropeway systems from Doppelmayr/Garaventa offer a host of benefits in the urban environment. They cross residential areas, rivers and existing infrastructure with ease and glide over every traffic hindrance. As well as lending themselves perfectly to integration into urban planning concepts, ropeway solutions offer infinite scope for creativity. Structures and equipment can be individually designed to cater for cultures, local circumstances and customer preferences. Passengers enjoy entirely new perspectives of the cityscape, top comfort and rapid connections while using the safest means of transport in existence.

Barrier-free loading and unloading make ropeways a positive experience for wheelchair users as well as passengers with strollers or bicycles. Environmentally friendly and efficient at the same time, ropeway systems provide an impressive answer to present and future traffic problems, and create added value for any city.

Roughly 50% of the world’s population currently lives in cities and that figure is expected to rise to 70% in less than a generation. As a result of the growing distance between home and the workplace and unregulated urban sprawl, residential structures are becoming ever more complex and existing traffic infrastructures are increasingly hitting capacity limits.

This makes it essential to find new solutions to address present and future traffic problems. Ropeways and CABLE Liners are innovative approaches which can make a valuable contribution towards resolving this challenge.

Urban transport at a glance
Impressive ecological footprint
Safest means of transport
No noise, no exhaust emissions
Simple link-up with other means of transport
High availability, reliability and efficiency

Benefits

Uses a new level Urban ropeways follow a dedicated route that is independent of other modes of transport.High capacity with optimal energy efficiency
Modern high-capacity installations carry up to 5,000 passengers per hour and direction.Short building phase without traffic hindrance
Ropeway projects can be implemented rapidly thanks to a high level of modularization and optimized work processes.Spacious cabins
Up to 35 passengers can be carried in one cabin – as well as bicycles, baby strollers and baggage items.The world’s safest means of transport
Ropeways have a proven track record and are statistically the safest means of transport.Direct connection
This means the fastest route from A to B in built-up areas or in the case of physical obstaclesSimple integration into existing public transit systems
Continuous movement ropeways don’t stop. Consequently,they have no problem interfacing with other modes of transportas there is no need to coordinate service frequency.Low space requirements for stations and towers
A minimal structural footprint enables ropeways to be builtin densely populated cities.No waiting times in stationsRopeways are continuous movement transport systems.
That means: constant availability of cabins and no need fortimetables.Barrier-free mobility for all
Level access for wheelchair users and passengers with impairedmobility while cabins run at minimum speed or stop.Environmentally friendly and cost-effective
Ropeways have a minimum impact on the environment andoffer an excellent cost-benefit ratio

It's a fair idea (transportation option) to traverse a difficult terrain. Some of those didn't seem... exceptional. I will rest on the fact that in its self the gondola in the next 10-15 isn't there yet in Edmonton, but within the next 20 years and as a component of the Rossdale development is the only success I see, from a business case POV.

Build the cable car and the Rossdale redevelopment will bloom.

Advocating a better Edmonton through effective, efficient and economical transit.

A straight line is far easier to engineer. You can fly over the old power plant or Edmonton Center Mall right to Rogers Centre. That would be a more useful route IMHO

I tried to avoid going over structures and running parallel directly above roads in that mockup - I noticed in various commuter gondola systems, they try to apply the same tactic if possible.

But I note that current gondola systems, you can easily have 2km+ between towers, so what I have as support towers can easily be reduced and towers will be installed more for the gondolas to gain elevation as opposed to supporting the cables to reduce sag.

Originally Posted by moahunter

^The Rosedale stop off seems a bit silly since that's what the funicular is there for, isn't it? Probably better to stop at the top of funicular, then go to Churchill (perhaps over the top of a road).

I agree with moa that Churchill could be a logical terminus. But with regards to the comment about Rossdale having a stop, it is about 20minute walk from the bottom of the funicular to Rossdale, they are not very close together...a stop at Rossdale makes a lot of sense.

I tried to avoid going over structures and running parallel directly above roads in that mockup - I noticed in various commuter gondola systems, they try to apply the same tactic if possible.

But I note that current gondola systems, you can easily have 2km+ between towers, so what I have as support towers can easily be reduced and towers will be installed more for the gondolas to gain elevation as opposed to supporting the cables to reduce sag.

...

Do they actually try to avoid roads, or are aerial trams mostly built in places where roads just can't go in a straight line? Generally tramways make sense where hills are to steep for direct roads.

In this case, the south bank is that steep, and so is the north, at least east of 105st.

The bigger problem with routes that go up existing streets is that it would be right outside resident's windows on the approach to the top of bank.

The bigger problem with routes that go up existing streets is that it would be right outside resident's windows on the approach to the top of bank.

By the same token, another condo can be built just beside existing condos. There are existing zoning regulations on how close you can build to residence windows. The existing owners will always freak out but that in NIMBYism. Personally I would rather have a tram going by my window that a sun blocking new condo in the same place.

Advocating a better Edmonton through effective, efficient and economical transit.